C-DAC reserves the right to interview applicants in the ratio of posts to be filled up. In case of large number of applicants fulfilling minimum criteria published above applications Screening Committee may prioritize the list of applicants further by using other criteria such as relevance of work experience, type of educational institutions, age, category of the applicant etc. and recommend applicants to be invited for personal interview in the ratio of posts to be filled up.

Age : Applicants belonging to the reserved category / Govt. employees/physically challenged category would be eligible for relaxations according to the Government of Indias norms.

Applicants working in Central/State Govt/PSU or any Govt Undertaking are required to forward an online advance copy of the application and submit the applications through the proper channel by clearly mentioning the position code on the application.

Name of the Post: Consultant
No. of Positions: 01
Position Code: PNE/CONS/810

Name of the Post: Executive Engineer
No. of Positions: 01
Position Code: PNE/EE/810

HOW TO APPLY: Apply online by clicking the appropriate link above, on or before October 17th, 2008.

Position Code : PNE/CONS/810
Name of the Post : Consultant

Educational Qualification : Diploma/Degree in Civil engineering from a recognized university
Post qualification Experience : Minimum 15 years out of which at least 5 years should have been in Managing the project of integrated works of similar size/nature. Experience in construction of IT parks may be added advantage.

Remuneration : Remuneration will be commensurate with relevant experience and qualifications.
Tenure : Appointment will be on contract for a period of two years.
Profile :

A) Pre Construction Stage

1. Give inputs to C-DAC, Architect/Consultant, by studying/scrutinizing/analyzing & reviewing following -Layout, building Drawings, electrical/structural requirements, cost and time estimates, detailed working drawings, tenders/bill of quantities for various works ( civil, electrical, structural, interior, landscaping, furniture, fixtures, fittings, air-conditioning, HVAC etc.. prepared by the Architect
2. Assist C-DAC and its architect in tender evaluation and finalization of various contractors .

B) Construction stage

1. Study & coordinate Drawings & suggest measures/actions required to gear up the construction work.
2. Ensure appropriate site supervision of civil/electrical/interior/hvac and all other works.
3. On the basis of drawings, in consultation with the Architect & client prepare a broad realistic programme /Bar-Chart, monitor the same &submit weekly/periodical progress report to the Client with all outstanding issues likely to affect either cost or completion time of project.
4. Verify the bills of contractors/architect including measurements.
5. Conduct weekly/periodical coordination meetings with Architect &contractors to review/monitor progress, to resolve issues related with work &prepare minutes of meetings.
6. Ensure minimum rework/changes & reduce wastages
7. Identify changes from original scope &approximately forecast their cost /effect on the work& time required to implement such changes.
8. Scrutinize rates of Extra Items & recommend suitable rates to client /Arch. for approval
9. Prepare checklist of all finishing items and ensure its compliance before handing over

C) Post Construction Stage

1. Obtain and verify updated "AS Built Drawings." from contractor & Architect and handover these alongwith other records of documentation for record.
2. Prepare &submit maintenance programme for necessary action by C-DAC.
3. Check, verify and certify the final bills of contractors/architect for payment alongwith measurements & other documents such as performance guarantees by the contractor as per tender provision & reconciliation of materials if any, issued by client.
4. Follow up for occupancy, completion certificates from PMC.
5. Get defects if any, rectified during defect liability period
6. Arrange for joint inspection with contractor/Architect for acceptance of works before handing-over of the building and complete documentation for occupation.

Age : Applicants belonging to the reserved category / Govt. employees/physically challenged category would be eligible for relaxations according to the Government of India's norms.

Apply For this Post Here

Position Code : PNE/EE/810
Name of the Post : Executive Engineer
Educational Qualification : Diploma/Degree in Civil engineering from a recognized university.
Post qualification Experience : Minimum 6 yrs for Degree and 9 years for Diploma, with reputed contractors/consultant/companies/institution/organization.

Remuneration : Remuneration will be commensurate with relevant experience and qualifications.
Skill Set : Candidates should be well-conversant with computer operations like MS office, MS project, Autocad etc.
Profile : Responsible for all site operations such as Full / complete supervision of all works at site, Preparation and maintenance of all records, data, books, files etc. related to site / construction, Taking/checking/ scrutinizing/verifying -all and complete measurements (100%), bills, claims etc., Coordination and follow-up as per completion programme, with contractor architects, Building Committee etc.

Age : Applicants belonging to the reserved category / Govt. employees/physically challenged category would be eligible for relaxations according to the Government of Indias norms.

For many modern skeptics the world’s oldest writings, on clay, stone and papyrus, is simply myth. However, if we dismiss all of the ancient literature and inscriptions - the Bible, the Koran, the Mahabharata, and the thousands of clay tablets from Mesopotamia - as too incredible to believe, we would still have to deal with the question of the physical evidence. Who built the ancient megalithic structures?  How were they built?  Why the practice of building pyramids at ancient sites all over Earth for a period or time, and then suddenly abandon them?  Who marked the Earth’s surface with gigantic lines and figures?  Who created the astonishing artwork on Mars?  Why and how were these things done? In this space age, with it’s remarkable technological advances, it is becoming apparent that the "miracles", and other seemingly supernatural events reported in ancient texts, the megalithic constructions, and the enigmatic lines and artwork over the Earth, resulted from an advanced technology which was incomprehensible and indescribable by the ancient human observers. On these pages we take the position that there is a reasonable explanation, within natural law, for these mysteries.

In this  articles we will review the evidence that these mysteries are attributable to ancient astronauts; extraterrestrials who have visited Earth in prehistoric and historical times, and have interacted with humans or their evolutionary predecessors, i.e. what authors throughout history have referred to as "the gods". 
Most authors, with the exception of Zecharia Sitchin (1976), who write about ancient astronauts, take us to familiar sites around the world where we get a "how-could-they-have-done-that?" feeling, but do not get into details concerning the god’s technology, motivation, or their whereabouts. 
By contrast,here I attempt to touch on the following questions: 

• What was the nature of the gods? 
• How did they accomplish their seemingly miraculous feats? 
• What did they value? 
• What was their connection to humans? 
• Where did they come from and where did they go?

Who first came to Earth many milleniam years ago. They were beings whose biology was similar to modern humans. They created modern mankind by mixing their genetic makeup with that of sub-humans. The purpose of mankind was to serve the  principally by providing food and mining and construction labor. They did not allow humans to view them – only their symbols (idols), suggesting that their appearance was frightening; however humans were occasionally permitted to see their emissaries, e.g. "geniuses" and "angels". They also would not allow humans near them, except priests who had cleansed and covered themselves and spread a germicide, suggesting their susceptibility to earthly diseases. They apparently moved about the Earth in spacecraft using chemical fuel, and only landed on mountaintops or other rocky outcroppings; this reduced the dust and provided physical protection from humans, and disease control. The earliest sites had a cave under the rock that protected the priests during the coming and going of the spacecraft. Later they built, or provided humans with tools to build, cyclopean structures – huge earthen, baked brick, or stone ceremonial platforms and pyramids, which served as landmarks and as landing and feeding sites. Since they had little defense against earthly bacteria, they developed methods to nourish themselves with the vapors emanating from food and drink which humans provided and burned for them. The food and drink was provided through the custom of sacrifice, the burning of the meat and blood of animals, and sometimes humans, which they demanded. These ceremonial and feeding sites were located all over the world, most on or near the current equator or near earlier pole-shifted equators. They taught humans agriculture, astronomy, engineering, and provided the first laws. They then departed from the face of Mankind.

"The grand aim of all science is to cover the greatest number of empirical facts by logical deduction from the smallest number of hypothesis or axioms"

– Albert Einstein

The following twenty clues in support of the Gyandotcom theory :

1. The lines and figures which occur over the Earth, e.g. the Peruvian Nazca lines and "roads", the Bolivian "ceques", the radial lines emanating from ancient ceremonial sites, and the British "ley" lines, precisely straight lines which connect ancient sacred sites.
     
2. The ubiquitous pyramids of various styles scattered over the Earth, in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, the Far East, and in North and South America. They apparently had several functions, serving as burial sites, landmarks, landing sites, bomb shelters, feeding stations, and ceremonial sites.
     
3. The megalithic constructions arrayed essentially all over the Earth; built of enormous stones weighing up to two million pounds. Why and how this was accomplished has not been adequately explained.
     
4. A unique and puzzling characteristic of the megalithic sites of both hemispheres is the complex polygonal stones which were used in their construction. Kiloton stones stacked, molded and sometimes fused together. Why and how?
     
5. The Polar Rounds, the concentration of ancient sites on or near the path of the current and shifted equators, suggesting that the ancient astronauts approached the Earth thru the solar plane , probably to use the planets for braking, and built very close to the equator. Chatelain (1988) says, "The polar rounds and the shift of the equator also explain why we have found traces of civilizations in regions of the Earth that today seem unfit for human habitation…". Remarkably many of the most mysterious sites lie on one of these ancient equators.
     
6. The many ancient writings about "gods" who could move through the air - the Enuma Elish, the Koran, the Popol Vuh, the Mahabharata, the Bible, and the voyages of the gods as depicted on cylinder seals and stellae from ancient Near Eastern civilizations.
     
7. The Heavenly Gateways - getting to and from the Earth. Before construction of the large pyramids and platforms the landing sites were simply a natural rock outcropping. A cave was excavated underneath which protected the priests during the coming and going of the Gods, or were some of them bomb shelters?, e.g.

• Israel: Es-Sakhra, the sacred rock on the Temple Mount, Jerusalem. There is a cave under the rock about 24 x 18 ft, and a hole in the ceiling about 2.5 ft in diameter which permitted access to the surface (Ritmeyer, 1996).
    
• Egypt: The Great Pyramid. The Great Pyramid was built on a huge bedrock bubble. About 115 ft under the surface, accessed via a 300 ft passageway, is an underground chamber measuring about 46 x 27 ft.
    
• Egypt: The Step Pyramid, with an elaborate multi-chambered cave underneath, allegedly built by Imhotep.
    
• Egypt: The pyramids of Mycerinus, Khafre, Unas, Teti and most other all had underground chambers. In fact the pyramids of Mycerinus and some others did not even have chambers in the pyramids - all chambers were underground!
    
• Mexico: Teotihuacan. There is a cave under the Sun Pyramid with several side chambers (Tompkins, 1976).
    
• Peru: The Torreon, Machu Picchu. A rock outcrop with a cave and altar underneath.
    
• Peru: K’enko. A huge, rock outcrop with an altar underneath. A hole above the altar allowed food to be passed to the surface (Fig 2-1).

1. There are many other constructions on the Earth which seem to have served
   as ancient navigation aids from the air, e.g. the Nazca lines next to the huge ceremonial site of Cahuachi, the Carnac stones and "Fairy Stone" in Brittany, the Sphinx at Giza, the Great Serpent Mound in Ohio, and the "Giant" and other huge drawings in the Chilean and Peruvian deserts.

• The spiral motif was a favorite design of the ancient astronauts, appearing at sites all over the world, e.g. Brittany; Cahuachi, Peru; Chaco Canyon; Nazca, Peru; Kawhia, New Zealand; Mu’a, Tonga; New Grange, Scotland; Tarxien, Malta.
    
• Consider this: In 1969 at New Grange, Britain, a Prof. O’Kelly proved that on the winter solstice, December 21, the morning sun would enter the passage and illuminate the spiral motif. Across the Atlantic, at Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, light falling on the spiral also was used to mark the equinoxes.
    
• One legend has it that when we are awakening but still lightly sleeping, we might "see" one or more spirals. When this happens we are able to hear or see through the ears and eyes of someone nearby or share their thoughts (please let me know if this works!) But to be serious the spiral motif, occurring at ancient megalithic sites all over Earth, obviously had some special significance; and we now know that our galaxy has the shape of a beautiful spiral. Is that it? Is the spiral motif the signature of those who built or provided the tools to build these enigmatic sites?

1. They constructed on Earth reflections of their celestial abode:

• Maurice Chatelain (1988) says that the pattern of the most famous cathedrals in 10 French cites "have the same configuration as the stars in the constellation of Virgo."
    
• Bauval and Gilbert (1994) demonstrate that the Giza pyramids exactly mirror the stars in Orion’s belt on 10,540 bc.
    
• Leviton and Coons (1987) believe that they have demonstrated the coincidence of a pattern of prehistoric sites in central Somerset with the constellation Canis Major.
    
• Zecharia Sitchin (1990) finds a pattern in the Coricancha in Cuzco which he feels closely resembles the constellation Cygnus.

1. Characteristics of site selection: Identification and access from the air, security and disease control.

• The important ancient sites seem to have been selected for easy identification and access from the air; on mountain peaks (Mt. Sinai, Machu Picchu, Mt. Olympus), on islands in lakes (Malta, Lake Titicaca), or on large artificial platforms (Baalbek, The Temple Mount).
    
• In addition various sites where the gods came and went were inaccessible by most of the people of that time, on the tops of mountains or pyramids. They would not allow humans near them, except priests who had cleansed and covered themselves and spread a germicide, suggesting their susceptibility to human diseases.
    
• Black and Green (1992) state that a sick person was considered to have sinned, that is, committed an offense against moral or divine law. The illness could be expelled or undone by a god whom the “patient” would appeal to through prayer. They write, “The use of the word 'patient' emphasizes the Babylonian view of sin as synonymous with disease. Sin could be transmitted by relatives or inherited from parents…Babylonians did not have a concept of original sin, but they believed that they were all very prone to sin.” (i.e. disease). This apparently is also the meaning of sin as used in the Old Testament.
    
• And Jehovah said to Moses, "Go to the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow. And let them wash their clothes." (Exo 19:10). 
  If you read the old testament substituting “disease” or “germs” for “sin” and “sterilize” for “sanctify” you will be surprised.
    
• And Jehovah said to Moses, "Go down, warn the people lest they break through to gaze at Jehovah, and many of them fall." (Exo 19:21).
    
• "And also the priests, those approaching Jehovah, let them sanctify (cleanse) themselves, that Jehovah not burst forth among them." (Exo 19:22).
    
• "And Jehovah said to him (Moses), ‘Come, go down. And you come up and Aaron with you. And let not the priests and the people break through to come up to Jehovah, lest He burst forth among them.’" (Exo 19:23).
    
• "And if you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build them of cut stones. When you swing your tool on it you defile it." (Exo 20:25).

1. Apparently some of the gods were frightful to look at, and took great care to not be seen by humans, except possibly by the highest priests.
     
2. The feeding of large numbers of the "sacrifice" of animals, and sometimes humans.
     
3. Genetic engineering. From various ancient texts we read of the creation of mankind and "virgins" giving birth to god-kings and prophets. As our own biotechnology evolves what were unfathomable mysteries for our forefathers are now beginning to make sense.
     
4. Astronomy and mathematics. The ancient civilizations, which arose in both hemispheres near the equator, possessed an extensive knowledge of astronomy and mathematics.
     
5. The sudden appearance of a technologically advanced human civilization. John Cohane (1977) writes, "Until one arrives at Cro-Magnon man, about 30,000 bc, it is impossible to hold up a single piece of fossil evidence and say with assurance: ‘This came from an ancestor of man’." He discusses other evidence and concludes, "…and this evidence indicating that only 10,000 years ago there was a sudden and unaccountable emergence of a full-blown intelligent civilization…".
     
6. The several references to the use of nuclear or other advanced weapons during the god’s struggles with each other.
     
7. They must overcome the restraints of time, and there are several hints of gravitational time dilation when comparing the lives of the ancient astronauts with that of humans.
     
8. All of the ancient ceremonial sites, in both hemispheres, have been abandoned. In the Americas the centers came to an abrupt and unexplained end, with the exception of the Aztec centers, before the arrival of the Spaniards. Tiahuanaco in Bolivia and the entire region were abandoned by 1050 ad. The AAs had all left the Earth.
     
9. Communication with the Gods. There is the suggestion that Yahweh could only communicate with the Israelites via the Ark of the Covenant: "And the Israelites inquired of the LORD, for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, and Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, ministered before it in those days, saying..."

• The Israelites were instructed to blow a trumpet to signal Jehovah (probably also other ) to come to the sacrifice or to call God to an assembly of the tribe, or to signal for God’s assistance during battle (Numbers 10:2-10). This suggests that Yahweh could not receive the prayers of the Israelites; however other passages suggest that Yahweh could indeed receive the prayers of the Israelites if they were within earshot of the Ark. But he apparently could not reply to them via the Ark, only through the prophets within whom he had placed his ‘spirit’, e.g. when Hezekiah prayed the Lord’s answer came through Isaiah who said to Hezekiah, "So says Jehovah, the God of Israel. I have heard that which you have prayed to Me…" ( 2 Kings 19:20).
    
• Also when David prayed to God, the answer came to David through his "seer", Gad: "And Jehovah spoke to Gad, the seer of David, saying ‘Go; and you shall speak to David, saying…’" \
• Last and most important, the space colonization argument of the SETI community. The argument is that the use of nuclear propulsion at, say, 1/10th the speed of light could easily be accomplished, and that if only one advanced civilization existed in the galaxy it could colonize the galaxy in a mere 1-10 million years. They then conclude that “we don’t see them here; therefore they do not exist”. The following section examines this clue in greater depth.

1. Physicist Enrico Fermi once asked: "If there are extraterrestrials, where are they?"
   "If they existed," he said, "they would be here." It was a casual question over lunch, and I suspect that if he had thought further about it he might have further speculated, “or have they been here and have left?” We’ll never know, but his question, which became known as the “Fermi Paradox” or “Space Travel Argument”, raised a great deal of discussion in the SETI community.

   The paradox lead a few scientists - Freeman Dyson, Michael Hart, David Viewing and Frank Tipler among others - to speculate that any older technologically advanced civilization would have colonized the galaxy by now, and since they are not here, they don’t exist; therefore “SETI is a waist of time and money”.

   The “space colonization” proponents argue that the use of nuclear propulsion at, say, 1/10th the speed of light could easily be accomplished, and that if only one advanced civilization existed in the galaxy it could colonize the galaxy in a mere 1-10 million years. They then conclude that “we don’t see them here; therefore they do not exist”. The argument apparently assumed that the alien’s would physically occupy all the habitable planets rather than just develop them. I think this was where they got off track.

   Others have countered. Kuiper and Morris (1977) stated, “The search for extraterrestrial intelligence should begin by assuming that the galaxy has been colonized”. The paper was more wild speculation but the positions and titles of the authors, and a few equations, were apparently enough to get it into the journal Science.

   But there is another reason we should assume that it has already been "colonized". In a recent paper astronomer Dr Charles Lineweaver (2001), studying the tricky business of terrestrial planet formation, argues that "...this gives us an age distribution for life on such planets and a rare clue about how we compare with other life that might inhabit the Universe." From the age distribution he then concludes, "most of the life forms in the universe have had two billion years longer to evolve than we have." Apparently we're the new kid on the block.

   As used here "Colonization" is probably a misnomer, since in our case the ancient astronauts goal seemed to be the extension of their biology, knowledge, laws, and technology, by example or by physical manipulation of the biological blueprint of the most promising animal they found here; sort of a galactic migration of intelligence, survival traits and culture, rather then physical beings. It appears that when we attained a certain technological level they got out of the way.

   My thought here is that their argument is forceful but their conclusion is incorrect. It is in fact a powerful statement in support of the hypothesis - that the Earth, probably along with most habitable bodies in the galaxy, has indeed been colonized by ancient astronauts and, at least in part, we are them! Curiously, to my knowledge, none of the authors have appreciated the compelling logic of this argument and the strong corroboration it gives to the theory.

During most of the last century the scientific community has considered the possibility that the Earth’s axis (and the poles), or the Earth’s crust has shifted during the last 200,000 years or so, perhaps several times.In 1958 (updated 1970) Charles Hapgood presented his theory (along with 458 references!) that both the poles and the Earth’s crust have shifted several times in the last 120,000 years. He maintained that the last four rounds of the poles started 120,000 years ago when the North Pole installed itself in the territory of Yukon in Canada at 63 N and 135 W; then it went to the Greenland Sea at 72 N and 10 E about 84,000 years ago, moved from 54,000 until 48,000 years ago and settle in the middle of Hudson Bay at 60 N and 83 W; it rested there for 30,000 years, then wandered again from about 18,000 to about 12,000 years ago when it came to its present location. He uses evidence from geomagnetism, continental drift, the failure to explain the ice ages, the failure to explain climatic changes, the sudden melting of the ice sheets, the shaping of earth’s surface features, the evidence for violent and rapid extinctions.

 F. Barbierio (1999) addressed the pole shift hypothesis by arguing, using mind-numbing mathematics, that the Earth’s poles could be rapidly shifted due to the impact of objects from space as small as a half-kilometer diameter asteroid.

And so the argument continues in the scientific community.

Former NASA engineer Maurice Chatelain (1988) discussed some very interesting consequences of the polar rounds. During the Hudson Bay period (48,000 to 18,000 years ago) the equator was 30 degrees further south in South America, passing through central Chile and Argentina, resulting in a much warmer climate over Antarctica. The Antarctic peninsula and Little America were on only 40 and 60 degrees south respectively. Chatelain states, “At least half of Antarctica towards South America and the south Atlantic were free of ice for 100,000 years…”. (does this support the business about the Peri Reis map?)

He demonstrates that most of the important ancient megalithic sites lay on the equators during the last 100,000 years, and that it was because “It is preferable to land a spaceship near the equator than in a polar region, just as it was with our landings on the moon.” (the speed at the surface of the earth at the equator gives an added eastward push of about 500 meters/sec). He says, "The polar rounds and the shift of the equator also explain why we have found traces of civilizations in regions of the Earth that today seem unfit for human habitation…". He goes on to demonstrate that many of the ancient megalithic sites lie on of close to one of these prehistoric equators.

Reading this it occurred to me that the remarkable concentration of ancient sites on or near the path of the prehistoric equators suggested that the AAs approached the Earth through the solar plane, probably to use the planets for braking, lined up on the Earth's equator to land, and built their sites very close to the equator. Seemed reasonable - at the time.

In a superb up-to-date discussion of this observation Alison (2001), using a bit of reverse engineering, lists nine sites which would lie on the equator 120,000-84,000 years ago, another six which would lie on the equator 84,000-48,000 years ago, and nine sites which would lie on the equator 48,000-12,000 years ago (The site lists are from Alison but the estimates of the time periods are from Hapgood (1958)). Now if we assume that these sites were located during the current pole position (12,000 - present) the resulting pattern of the locations on the Earth is a precise harmonic wave, as Alison nicely demonstrates.

Alison lists sites which are within 70 miles of the equator of the time; however, when we consider that the poles wandered for about 5 thousand years before settling, I think we should allow a little slack here. Using Alison’s coordinates for the poles the following is Alison’s list with my additions of the sites which are within 5 degrees of the last four equators (* indicates those from Alison’s list). These are just a few of the better known locations; I suspect if one were to search a good archeological atlas along the equators many more would be found.

Here's what we have suggesting that the AAs lined up on the ancient equators to land:

1. There is an undeniable coincidence between many of the most important ancient sites and the prehistoric equators.
2. Oops - we have a problem: None of the equators pass close to the Mesoamerican sites (Teotihuacan, etc). Possible solution: archeologists think they were built much later.
3. Oops - we have a BIG problem: None of the equators pass anywhere near the important European sites (Stonehenge, Brittany, Bogazkoy, Malta, etc), and these are very old.

Then let's make another assumption - that they approached and landed along the solar plane (the Earth's axis of rotation is tilted 23.5 deg from the solar plane, the ecliptic). Within 5 degree of the equators here's what we have:

1. The pattern of the landings on the Earth would indeed be a harmonic wave.
2. England, Brittany, Yonagoni, Columbia Arch. Zone, Lhasa, Indus Valley, Mexico and Yucatan Peninsula, Ethiopia, Nazca, Delphi would now fall on an ancient equator.
3. Oops - we still have a BIG problem: Most of the sites in Alison's list above would not be anywhere near one of the equators.

So about all we can conclude is that -

1. Sometimes their landing/departure was parallel to the solar plane, as if they used the planets for breaking (landing) or accelerating (departure), and
2. Sometimes their landing/departure was parallel to the Earth's equatorial plane, as if they used the planets for breaking or accelerating, then lined up on the equator to realize the benefits of the Earth's rotation.

•  1: Geologist Robert Schock (1999) discusses the theory of Kirschvink and others that the "Cambrian explosion" was due to a 90 degree shift of the crust, not the interior of the Earth, which he calls "true polar wander".
• 2: Zecharia Sitchin (1993) concluded that about 11,000 bc (13,000 years ago) the Earth’s surface shifted causing the ice cap to slip off, which in turn caused the deluge. The seems to agree fairly well with Hapgood’s estimate of the last pole shift, between 18,000 and 12,000 years ago).
•  3: Childress (1999) presents diagrams of the four yuga cycles of the 6000 years from 22,000 bc to 2000 a.d., and the great yuga cycle from 46,000 bc to 22,000 bc. Interesting that the great cycle corresponds closely to the period Hapgood gives for the 3rd position of the polar axis (48,000 to 18,000 bc), and that the recent cycle corresponds to the present pole position (18,000 bc to present) (Hapgood, 1958).
• One final word: The Martian equator, like Earth's, has apparently shifted over time, and in writing about the famous Mars "face", astronomer Tom Van Flandern says that it has "...a culturally significant location on the old Martian equator and a culturally significant north-south orientation."

It’s well known that when cultures are replaced their sacred sites are usually adopted and incorporated into the current culture's traditions, apparently in an effort to entice the people to the new culture. This happened throughout the Americas during the Spanish conquest and evidently in England where the ancient “old straight tracks” (ley lines) now trace religious sites erected within recent times.

Of course I am not suggesting that the structures currently at these sites were built during the periods of the prehistoric equators (nor does Alison), but I do suggest that most of the site locations were first visited during these periods, and probably were points of Terrestrial contact between

Investigation Continues........

Gyandotcom

The Nanda Devi Raj Jat pilgrimage, dating back to the 9th century, is mostly held in intervals of 12 years, when a four-horned Ram is born in one of the villages in the area.

The pilgrimage starts from Nauti village in Chamoli district on Tuesday and takes several days of trekking through the hilly terrain to reach the final destination of Homkund.

The image of the Goddess is taken on a palanquin along with offerings are taken in a procession, accompanied by bare-footed devotees. It is believed that the trek signifies Nanda's (maiden name of Parvati) journey from her maternal village to Shiva's abode in Homkund.

According to the folk songs recited during the festival, King Shalipal of Chandpur Garhi laid the foundation of the tradition. He also authorized his younger brother 'Kunwar' of Kansava to represent the royal house in the yatra with the four-horned Ram and ''chhantolis'' (traditional umbrellas) besides helping the priest perform all rites and rituals connected with the pilgrimage.It is not a very large kund (lake) and is rather shallow, having a depth of only about 2 metres. The edges are snow covered for most parts of the year, but when the snow melts, one can see human and equine skeletal remains, sometimes with flesh attached; well preserved in the alpine conditions. It is found that about 300 people died about 500-600 years ago. and it is the location of about three to six hundred skeletons at the edge of a lake. The location is uninhabited and is located at an altitude of about 5,029 metres. The skeletons were discovered in the 1942 when a park ranger stumbled upon on one of it and find a mass grave of skeletons. At that time it was believed that the people died from an epidemic, landslides or a blizzard. The carbon dating from samples collected at that time in the 1960s vaguely indicated that the people were from the 12th century to the 15th century.In 2004 a team of National geography some Indian and European scientists set off to the location to gain more information on the skeletons. The team uncovered vital clues including jewellery, skulls, bones and a preserved body. DNA tests on the bodies revealed that there were two groups of people, a short group (probably local porters) and a taller group who were closely related. Though the numbers were not ascertained, it is believed that three to six hundred people perished. Radiocarbon dating of the bones also accurately pinpointed the time period to be in the 9th century predating the earlier inaccurate tests. After studying fractures in the skulls, the scientists in Hyderabad and London determined that the people died not of disease but of a sudden hailstorm. The hail sizes were as large as cricket balls and with no shelter in the open Himalayas all of them perished. Furthermore with the rarefied air and icy conditions, many bodies were well preserved. With landslides in the area, some of the bodies made their way into the lake. What is not determined was where the group was headed to. There is no historical evidence of any trade routes to Tibet in the area or any places of pilgrimage.Roopkund is the destination of a religious event in Garhwal called the Nanda Jaat yatra which repeats in 12 years. The latest, at the time of writing, was in the year 2000. A ram with four horns is born and is considered as the vehicle of the Goddess which is taken through villages and finally to Roopkund. Thousands of people participate in this event, and many devotees continue their journey with the ram to Roopkund. According to the folklores, a king took part in this yatra with his entourage which had women dancers and Goddess Nanda was displeased with this. A snowstorm or an avalanche could be the reason for the skeletons in the lake.

How to Reach there

Kathgodam - Ranikhet - Garur - Gwaldam - Debal(1220 mts) - Bagargad(1890 mts)- Mandali village - Lohajung pass - Wan village(2590 mts) - Bedini Bugyal( 3660 mts) - Belpa Sulera(4270 mts) - Kelwa Binayak - Roopkund.

Gwaldam to Roopkund is on trek.
Devotees believe that the Ram moves under spiritual influence. It carries the bangles and clothes for Goddess. It is said that a four-horned Ram gets born every 12 years in Chandpurpatti of Karnprayag sub-division.

by

Gyandotcom

The most important thing to know about ghosts is that they are not the souls of dead people returned to communicate with the living. Dead is dead. Unless you believe in the reincarnation of the lower soul with the memories of its past lives intact, there is no coming back (I do not believe in the reincarnation of the any personality and memory).

Neither are ghosts physically present when you see them. They are present in the astral world which always overlaps the physical world. You see a ghost when, for various reasons, the separation between the two levels of reality becomes very thin. lets find out whats the myths & Facts.

From historical accounts, it appears that the perception of ghosts occurs most often at night, in relative or complete darkness, or at least in some shadowed place, usually when the air is still. Certain localities are favorable for the appearance of ghosts -- why is difficult to determine. One theory has it that a ghost is a kind of psychic recording of an event in the past that took place at that locality, and that the locality acts as some sort of recording medium, and periodically replays the event under the right conditions.

Ghosts are often described as shadowy or translucent. Only portions of their body may appear -- a relative of mine once saw a ghostly hand project itself upward through the surface of a school desk that was stored in a dark school basement. Sometimes ghosts walk out of or into walls, or through furniture. They can do this because, to them, our physical reality is no more than a projected three-dimensional image.

There are many exceptions to this general description, of course. Some ghosts appear as real and as solid as a person of flesh and blood. Some appear in full daylight, and are seen by numerous persons at the same time, or on numerous occasions. More rarely they interact with others, talking and even laughing with them, or touching them. However, as a broad rule of thumb, ghosts appear in haunted places, at night when the light is poor, when the air is quiet, to individuals who are frequently (but not always by any means) going to bed or waking from sleep. Usually they do not speak, or take the least notice of their observer. They perform the same set of actions on successive occasions, as though performing a play, or in a trance state, or as though they were themselves projections of a cinema image.

You may ask how a projected astral image can touch you? The answer is a bit difficult to grasp at first consideration, because it challenges your normal concept of reality. You need to realize that what you see in the world around you is being created by your brain from raw sensory data. Your world exists inside your head, even though it appears to exist outside your body. Because your world is really a mental construction, it is possible for an astral being to appear completely solid and real to your perceptions. When this happens, you may find yourself unable to differentiate between a physical object and an astral object, or a physical person and a ghost.

Usually there is a difference between our perception of a physical object and an astral object, which is why ghosts appear incomplete, dim, shadowy, pale, translucent, and so on. My point is, at times there is no difference in perception between the physical and astral realities. This rarely occurs for the average person, but it does occur. Under this circumstance, any entity or thing in the astral realm can interact with you with all the solidity and reality of a physical entity or thing.

If ghosts are merely astral recordings of past events, how do they interact and communicate with human beings? Usually, they don't. When they do take notice of a human observer, it indicates that they are not a pure ghost, but an astral entity that has assumed the physical appearance of a dead person. On rare occasions, it is indeed possible to talk with ghosts, or communicate with them through gestures, but when this happens, the ghost is really a spirit of the astral world in disguise.

Astral spirits can assume different shapes and features more or less at will. They enjoy the company of and interaction with living human beings. When the emotions of a human being are very strong -- for example, just after the death of a loved one -- an astral spirit may put on the body of the departed and appear to his or her lover or family. If you have ever had anyone close to you die, you will probably have experienced extremely vivid dreams in which you are talking with that person. The being in these dreams is not your departed friend or relative, but an astral spirit. Such spirits can appear both in dreams and in our waking reality when the proper conditions exist.

Are ghosts dangerous? Usually not. In their most common manifestation they are merely shadows or images without physical substance. On the other hand, if an astral spirit decides to haunt an individual person rather than a particular place, they can become very distracting. This is especially true if the pseudo-ghost takes on physical substance and is able to touch the person being haunted.

The touch of a ghost is chilly. It draws heat from the surface of the body, and if it persists, this cold gradually penetrates into the muscle and fat. I have had the experience of being embraced for prolonged periods of time by ghostly spirits. It takes a little getting used to. I enjoy it most on hot summer nights. In the wintertime, it makes me shiver and put another blanket on the bed. These astral ghosts are lonely beings, and they like to sleep in the beds of those who do not reject them, in the same way stray dogs or cats like to rub up against friendly persons.

I should mention here that animals sometimes appear as ghosts. One night while lying in bed I had a litter of drowned kittens snuggle up under my armpit for warmth and go to sleep. I didn't mind, although their attempts to suckle on my armpit tickled like crazy! The poor things still had their eyes closed, they were so young. Their fur was wet, which is how I knew they had been drowned.

From personal experience, many times repeated, I can state categorically that the touch of such a spirit may feel complete physical. At these times there is no way to differentiate the hand of a ghost laid on your shoulder from the hand of a person, except that the ghost's hand will (usually) be somewhat cool.

I have had so many interactions with spirits over the years, they do not trouble me in the least, but I can understand how being touched by a ghost in the darkness, alone in bed, might startle, or even frighten, some individuals. If this happens to you, relax. You are very unlikely to be harmed, since most spirits mean no harm. If you are really troubled, turn on a light or get up from your bed or chair and walk into another room. This should dispel the astral presence.

The most important thing I can say about ghosts is, never mistake a ghost for the human being it resembles. Not even if the ghost talks to you, and declares itself to be the departed human being. Astral spirits who imitate dead people are seeking attention and love. If you wish to give them this love (as I often do), fine; but if you do not wish to be deceived and bothered by them, turn your mind away from them and focus it firmly on some other task, such as reading a book or washing your hair. They may persist for a time, but eventually they will give up in disappointment and go away.

Ghost is something that some believe and some won't. But still most of them get frighten to some extend, when they watch terrific horror films. Perhaps it is due to the terrific sounds or special effects that imposes ones mind. But there is a specific science that has the ability to explain the concepts of the spirits or ghosts called Adhyatam (A study centered around the soul)in the Ancient Indian script. According to the teachings of the ancient scripture Bhagavad Gita, the brain (and the body in general) is only a mechanical device used by the spirit soul (the actual self). It is described that just as a passenger rides in a chariot, in the same way the spirit soul is riding in this vehicle of the body.

The scriptures state that one who commits suicide will have to remain as a ghost for the period of time that one's body was supposed to exist. A ghost is nothing but a person with no physical body. According to the sankhya system, our body is made up of two coverings, the sukshma-sharira (subtle body) and the sthula-sharira (gross body). The gross body is made up of the panch Tatvas (earth, water, fire, air and ether), and the subtle body is made up of the mind (manas/humans), intelligence (buddhi) and identification (Ahankar). It is the subtle body which accompanies the soul into the next body at the time of death.

The gross physical body has a particular duration of existence based on one's prarabdha karma(results of the deeds of his previous incarnation).When one commits suicide, one brings one's physical body to an end prior to it having completed it's allotted time. One's next body is prepared in the akasha (ether), ready to manifest at the end of one's allotted time (the normal death of one's physical body).

Thus if one was supposed to live for 100 years, one's next body will be waiting for you after that 100 years. If for some reason one were to commit suicide at the age of 50,...

in short ghost is nothing but a magnetic field surrounded by strong magnetism in us.

Scientific Explaination:- people report more strange experiences in the areas where others have experienced unusual phenomena in the past. In other words, people have more ghostly experiences in the places that seem to be the most haunted. This is true regardless of whether people have any prior knowledge of the area or its ghostly history. However, people who say they believe in ghosts or who already know about supernatural activity in a particular area report strange events more often. These findings can seem to support the idea that a building can be haunted. But Weisman's(­Richard Wiseman of the University of Hertfordshire ) projects have also involved looking for the source of the apparently paranormal phenomena. In addition to gathering reports of strange occurrences, he has evaluated physical conditions in each haunted area. He and his research team have used instruments to measure light, humidity, sound and magnetic fields. His measurements suggest that the signs that a building is haunted often have a rational, physical cause. Other researchers have used similar methods to try to determine the causes of ghostly activity. While no one has conclusively proven that ghosts do not exist, researchers have proposed a number of alternate explanations about physical or psychological causes for strange experiences. Some are simple - people can hallucinate or mistake reflections, shadows and unidentifiable noises for ghosts. In some haunted locations, researchers have measured magnetic fields that are stronger than normal or which exhibit unusual fluctuations. These may be localized phenomena that stem from electronic equipment or geological formations, or they may be part of the Earth's magnetic field

Some paranormal investigators think of this as proof of a supernatural presence -- the ghosts create the field. Others suggest that these fields can interact with the human brain, causing hallucinations, dizziness or other neurological symptoms. Some researchers have theorized that this is one of the reasons people report more ghostly activity at night. Because of the way the solar wind interacts with the Earth's magnetosphere, the planet's magnetic field stretches out on the side that's in darkness. Some researchers hypothesize that this expanded field interacts more strongly with people's brains.

Medical researchers have also studied the effects of electrical fields on people's brains. Electrical stimulation to the angular gyrus of the brain, for example, can cause the sensation of someone behind you mimicking your movements. Electrical stimulation to different parts of the brain has also caused people to hallucinate or seem to have near-death experiences.

Temperature
Cold spots are a common phenomenon in buildings that are thought to be haunted. People describe sudden drops in temperature or localized cold areas in an otherwise warm room. Often, researchers can trace the cold spot to a specific source, like a drafty window or a chimney. The sensation of a lower temperature can also come from reduced humidity. In Wiseman's study at Mary King's Close, the locations reported to be haunted were significantly less humid than those that were not.

Low-frequency Sound Waves
Several experiments have demonstrated that low-frequency sound waves, known as infrasound, can cause phenomena that people typically associate with ghosts. This includes feelings of nervousness and discomfort as well as a sense of a presence in the room. The sound waves may also vibrate the human eye, causing people to see things that are not there. Usually, these waves have frequencies of less than 20 Hz, so they are too low-pitched for people to actually perceive. Rather than noticing the sound itself, people notice its effects. Sometimes, researchers can locate the source of the sound. The article "The Ghost in the Machine" by Vic Tandy and Tony Lawrence describes a low-frequency standing wave originating from a fan. The sound wave disappeared after the researchers modified the fan's housing. When the wave dissipated, so did the symptoms of haunting in the building. You can learn more about infrasound at the Infrasonic site.

The most skeptical researchers believe that all ghostly phenomena have rational explanations. Those who try to prove the existence of ghosts, however, claim that while some events have rational explanations, others can only be supernatural in origin. Regardless of whether ghosts are real, many people find them fascinating. This fascination has a number of likely causes, from curiosity about what happens to people after death to the comforting idea that deceased loved ones are still nearby. Ghost stories, like urban legends, can also express people's fears about the unknown and caution people about the consequences of actions.

On the other hand, in its Science and Engineering Indicators report, the National Science Board (NSB) asserts that belief in the paranormal can be dangerous. According to the NSB, belief in the paranormal is a sign of reduced critical thinking skills and a reduced ability to make day-to-day decisions. However, since it's virtually impossible to prove that something does not exist, people will probably continue to believe in ghosts and haunted houses, especially since unexplained events aren't likely to go away anytime soon.

Experiment:-A simple Experiment if you wish to hunt a ghost hold your camcorder in a nightvision mode and try to capture paranormal activity in haunted place or room ......you will surely caught  ghost in a nightvision cam. i've done this experiment and succeed to capture a ghostly activity in my cam.

to be continue........vampires,witches,super natural more intresting research work to come till  keep reading gyandotcom.

by Gyandotcom

Cocoa
Long before the current trend towards organic ingredients, cocoa was one of the best known natural foods. In its purest form cocoa is a natural food. The cocoa tree produces cocoa pods that grow from the trunk or branch of the tree. These pods contain the beans which characterise the finished chocolate. The cocoa beans are fermented under banana leaves to bring out the chocolate flavour and then dried under the tropical sun. They are then shelled and ground to produce chocolate liquor, an essential ingredient for making chocolate. The liquor can also be pressed to remove the fat and is cooled and ground to produce pure cocoa powder.

Antioxidant Power
Cocoa contains high levels of naturally occurring compounds called flavanols and a range of other polyphenols that have been shown to reduce blood pressure helping to improve heart health. Polyphenols have antioxidant properties and work by fighting the free radicals which attack cells causing disease and accelerated ageing. They are believed to impact on arteries and blood qualities, helping to reduce the risk factors for cardio-vascular disease, through lowering blood pressure and improved blood platelet function. Scientists have found that the polyphenols relax vessels by increasing the chemical nitric oxide. This has been shown in new studies at many universities around the World1.

Dark chocolate contains especially high levels of flavanols and other polyphenols - this helped to boost sales of dark chocolate by over 15% in the UK last year2!

It's not just bars of chocolate that have these high levels of antioxidants - a recent study revealed that hot chocolate beverages, high in cocoa content, can contain concentrations of antioxidants similar to those in red wine or tea.

Deliciously Nutritious
Chocolate and cocoa containing products are often criticised as being low in nutritional value and "empty calories". On the contrary, milk chocolate for instance contains many vitamins including B1, B2, and E as well as minerals including potassium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese and by far the most important, calcium, providing over 15% of the recommended daily requirement in a 49g bar of Cadbury's Dairy Milk, all of which help to keep us healthy. In light of recent research which suggests taking supplements may be detrimental to your health, it's good to know that chocolate and cocoa contain so many nutrients.

Boosting Brain Power
A recent study in the United States at Wheeling Jesuit University, West Virginia (May 2006) has suggested that eating chocolate may improve the way our brains work. The theobromine and phenylethylamine, as well as the caffeine in chocolate appear to increase alertness and mental performance4. The team found that scores for verbal and visual memory were significantly higher for those people who had eaten milk chocolate, and the consumption of milk and dark chocolate was associated with improved impulse control and reaction time.
Similar work at the University of Nottingham has shown that the consumption of dark chocolate can increase blood flow to the brain leading to improved cognitive function. 

In the Mood
Chocolate is said to contain at least 300 natural chemical compounds, resulting in a complex range of tastes and odours that connect with the human brain as it runs over the taste buds of the tongue. The slowly released energy and feelings of fullness and satisfaction induced by its sugar and fat content, refuel the body's energy levels and create feelings of wellbeing. Eating chocolate triggers the release of endorphins, mood enhancing chemicals produced by the brain. These produce feelings of pleasure.

Chocolate has such a luscious texture and aroma that all the body's taste and olefactory sensors are fully exploited, heightening the pleasure of the experience. So much so that a recent survey by Cadbury has found that 52% of women prefer eating chocolate to having sex! Over the years, psychiatrists and researchers have pointed out substances in chocolate that they think may make us like it so much - however, they're in such small amounts they can't really be the reason we crave chocolate.

The simple pleasure of chocolate melting in the mouth adds to the pleasure of eating it - chocolate has the property of melting at body temperature, cooling the mouth slightly as it does so. Most interestingly, one expert has pointed out that "chocolate's a blend of flavours and aromas so complex that food chemists have never been able to duplicate it in the lab 5 ." We may never understand why chocolate makes us feel good, adding to its mystery. A standard 45g bar of dark chocolate contains 12% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of iron. Iron is essential in transporting oxygen in the blood to all parts of the body, and an iron deficiency can cause anaemia.

When cocoa is combined with ingredients such as milk, sugar, fruit and nuts significant quantities of nutrients are provided- giving nutrition and energy as well as great taste. But as the products are often high in fats and sugars it is important that consumption is in moderation and that such products are consumed infrequently as "treats" - but are certainly not "empty calories".  

The Benefits by Choclates.

Teeth
While you should always brush teeth, naturally occurring substances in cocoa, such as tannins, may play a role in inhibiting plaque formation by coating the teeth to protect them6.

Brain
Eating chocolate releases endorphins, hormone-like natural substances, which produce a feeling of pleasure and reduce sensitivity to pain. Chocolate contains many substances that act as stimulants, such as theobromine, phenylethylamine, and caffeine. Research has found that consuming chocolate can lead to increased mental performance.

Throat
A study carried out by Imperial College, London in 2004 claimed that high doses of theobromine contained in chocolate are a third more effective at stopping persistent coughs than codeine.

Heart
Research by Professor Carl Keen at the University of California in 2000 has shown that a bar of milk chocolate (45g) contains the same quantity of antioxidants as a 150ml glass of red wine. Dark chocolates with higher levels of cocoa contain even more, as presented in February 2006 at the American Association for the Advancement of Science's (AAAS) annual meeting in Boston.

Circulation
A number of studies, including one at the University of Cologne revealed that dark chocolate helps lower blood pressure10. The study focused on adults with untreated mild hypertension, some of whom had white chocolate, some dark. Blood pressure remained fairly unchanged in the group that ate white chocolate, which does not contain flavanols. But after two weeks, blood pressure readings had dropped significantly in the group who consumed dark chocolate.

Bones
Milk and milk products have been part of our diet for thousands of years and the milk in chocolate - particularly milk chocolate - provides useful quantities of a wide range of nutrients including calcium. A 49g bar of milk chocolate provides over 15% of the adult Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) of calcium. Drinking chocolate made with milk contains even more calcium.

The Origin.
The origins of chocolate can be traced back to the ancient Maya and Aztec civilisations in Central America, who first enjoyed 'chocolatl'; a much-prized spicy drink made from roasted cocoa beans. Throughout its history, whether as cocoa or drinking chocolate beverage or confectionery treat, chocolate has been a much sought after food. Because cocoa beans were valuable, they were given as gifts on occasions such as a child coming of age and at religious ceremonies. Merchants often traded cocoa beans for other commodities such as cloth, jade and ceremonial feathers.
''Chocolate' (in the form of a luxury drink) was consumed in large quantities by the Aztecs: the drink was described as 'finely ground, soft, foamy, reddish, bitter with chilli water, aromatic flowers, vanilla and wild bee honey'. The dry climate meant the Aztecs were unable to grow cocoa trees, and had to obtain supplies of cocoa beans from 'tribute' or trade.

The Spanish invaded Mexico in the 16th century, by this time the Aztecs had created a powerful empire, and the Spanish armies conquered Mexico. Don Cortes was made Captain General and Governor of Mexico. When he returned to Spain in 1528 he loaded his galleons with cocoa beans and equipment for making the chocolate drink. Soon 'chocolate' became a fashionable drink enjoyed by the rich in Spain..
An Italian traveller, Francesco Carletti , was the first to break the Spanish monopoly. He had visited Central America and seen how the Indians prepared the cocoa beans and how they made the drink, and by 1606 chocolate was well established in Italy.
The secret of chocolate was taken to France in 1615, when Anne, daughter of Philip II of Spain, married King Louis XIII of France. The French court enthusiastically adopted this new exotic drink, which was considered to have medicinal benefits as well as being a nourishing food.
Gradually the custom of drinking chocolate spread across Europe, reaching England in the 1650s.
Up until this point all chocolate recipes were based on plain chocolate .It was an English doctor, Sir Hans Sloane, who - after travelling in South America - focused on cocoa and food values, bringing a milk chocolate recipe back to England. The original Cadbury Milk Chocolate was prepared to his recipe.

Myths & True facts about choclates

Eating Chocolate Is Inconsistent With A Healthy Diet
With so much going for it, it's unfortunate that chocolate is often surrounded by myths and misconceptions that result in its unjustified reputation as an 'unhealthy' food. Scientists are beginning to dispel common myths about the concerns of eating chocolate, demonstrating the ways in which chocolate can make us feel good when enjoyed in moderation. One example of this would be the high levels of cardiovascular friendly antioxidants contained in chocolate - in fact, dark chocolate in particular contains more antioxidants by volume than red wine11 12. There is no need to exclude chocolate from a healthy diet as long as it is consumed responsibly and in the context of the dietary needs of the individual and their energy balance.

Chocolate causes Tooth Decay
Chocolate has sometimes been blamed for tooth decay but there is research showing that chocolate isn't as bad for your teeth as people think. Research has indicated that naturally occurring substances in cocoa, such as tannins, may play a role in inhibiting plaque formation.

Eating Chocolate gives you spots
Despite the persistence of this myth, research by the Pennsylvania School of Medicine and also by the U.S. Naval academy13 found no link between acne and chocolate consumption.

Chocolate has no nutritional value
Few people know that chocolate actually contains a number of important nutrients. Milk chocolate is a source of potassium, calcium and magnesium, while being low in sodium. It also provides us with vitamins - including B1, B2 and E.

Chocolate is Aphrodisiac
Though not definitively proven, recent research has indicated that this might not be a myth after all! A study conducted by San Raffaele hospital, Milan14 has found greater levels of sexual desire in the group that reported daily chocolate intake as opposed to those who did not eat chocolate.

Chocolate is Aphrodisiac
Though not definitively proven, recent research has indicated that this might not be a myth after all! A study conducted by San Raffaele hospital, Milan14 has found greater levels of sexual desire in the group that reported daily chocolate intake as opposed to those who did not eat chocolate.

Did You Know

The calcium in a 49g milk chocolate bar provides over 15% of your daily Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI).
The magnesium in a 45g bar of dark chocolate provides 13% of a female's and 15% of a male's daily RNI. 
One 45g dark chocolate bar provides you with up to 12% of your daily iron RNI. 
The copper in a 45g dark chocolate bar provides 27% of your RNI. 
As much as 22% of your RNI of riboflavin can come from a single 49g bar of milk chocolate. 
A 49g milk chocolate bar provides you with 33% of your recommended daily vitamin B12 intake. 

by Gyandotcom

Indian Space Research Organisation officials insisted that there are no hardware problems and that the space agency is moving more cautiously to ensure that all systems are well tested before and after integration at each stage.

The 525-kg lunar orbiter will carry as many as 11 instruments (payloads), including six from overseas -- two from the US and one each from Britain, Sweden, Germany and Bulgaria.

"Normally we have 2-3 instruments (on board satellite). For the first time, we have 11 instruments from different institutions. We have to ensure that the integration work takes place to our satisfaction
Project Director of Chandrayaan-1.

Stressing on inter-compatibility of various instruments on board, Annadurai said ISRO is working on ensuring that "all the systems (one system) does not disturb other systems' performance". "Any system of this volume will have its own issues that need to be solved before proceeding to the next step," he said.

"The issue gets compounded as the organisations are many. When we do this, it will add to taking away schedule cushions. Just to keep the launch target, we don't want to overlook any issue that will compromise the unqualified success of the mission".

ISRO had earlier proposed to launch the lunar probe on April 9 and if not on that day, then on April 23.

"If systems (once integrated and with propellants loaded) are kept for 14 days, then there could be some deterioration", he said, adding, ISRO is now working on a strategy that would allow it to have more number of launch opportunities. "We have almost arrived at a strategy".

ISRO would keep a half-an-hour launch window on a given day, and if it is not in a position for the mission during that period, it could be done in the subsequent two days as well, Annadurai explained.While the spacecraft itself will not land on the Moon, it will act as an orbiter and land a rover on the surface. The spacecraft is being launched next month sometime between October 22 and October 26 2008. The spacecraft payload includes 11 payloads (including one from NASA) and will perform remote sensing and studies of the lunar surface. The mission is estimated to cost Rs 386 crore (~ 84.3 million USD)."

The Working Model of Chandrayaan-1

Chandrayaan-1

How it Works?

The primary objectives of the Chandrayaan-1 mission are simultaneous chemical, mineralogicaland topographic mapping of the lunar surface at high spatial resolution. These data should enableus to understand compositional variation of major elements, which in turn, should lead to a betterunderstanding of the stratigraphic relationships between various litho units occurring on the lunarsurface. The major element distribution will be determined using an X-ray fluorescence spectro-meter (LEX), sensitive in the energy range of 1–10 keV where Mg, Al, Si, Ca and Fe give their Kαlines. A solar X-ray monitor (SXM) to measure the energy spectrum of solar X-rays, which areresponsible for the fluorescent X-rays, is included. Radioactive elements like Th will be measured byits 238.6 keV line using a low energy gamma-ray spectrometer (HEX) operating in the 20–250 keVregion. The mineral composition will be determined by a hyper-spectral imaging spectrometer(HySI) sensitive in the 400–920 nm range. The wavelength range is further extended to 2600 nmwhere some spectral features of the abundant lunar minerals and water occur, by using a near-infrared spectrometer (SIR-2), similar to that used on the Smart-1 mission, in collaboration withESA. A terrain mapping camera (TMC) in the panchromatic band will provide a three-dimensionalmap of the lunar surface with a spatial resolution of about 5m. Aided by a laser altimeter (LLRI)to determine the altitude of the lunar craft, to correct for spatial coverage by various instruments,TMC should enable us to prepare an elevation map with an accuracy of about 10m.Four additional instruments under international collaboration are being considered. These are:a Miniature Imaging Radar Instrument (mini-SAR), Sub Atomic Reflecting Analyser (SARA),the Moon Mineral Mapper (M3) and a Radiation Monitor (RADOM). Apart from these scientificpayloads, certain technology experiments have been proposed, which may include an impactorwhich will be released to land on the Moon during the mission.Salient features of the mission are described here. The ensemble of instruments onboardChandrayaan-1 should enable us to accomplish the science goals defined for this mission.Chandrayaan-1 is a remote sensing mission pro-posed to be launched from the Satish DhawanLaunch Station at Sriharikota in 2007 by theIndian Space Research Organization using thePolar Satellite Launch Vehicle. It will be injectedinto 240×36,000 km Elliptic Transfer Orbit (ETO)around the Earth and will be inserted in a circum-lunar orbit (LOI) via Lunar Transfer Trajectory(LTT). The launch profile is discussed in detail inan accompanying paper (Adimurthy et al 2005). Itwill enter the lunar orbit at about 1000 km altitudeand brought down to 100 km polar circular orbitin one or two stages. The lunar craft is designedto orbit the moon for a period of two years duringwhich it will carry out chemical, mineralogical andtopographic study of the lunar surface.There are several questions which are critical forunderstanding the formation and early evolution-ary history of the Moon, and the Chandrayaan-1mission objectives have been formulated keepingthis in mind.The main objective of the mission is simultane-ous chemical, mineral and topographic mappingwith the specific goal of understanding the earlyevolution of the Moon. Chemical stratigraphy canprovide better estimation of the average lunar com-position and processes responsible for chemical dif-ferentiation of the Moon. Transport of volatiles,specifically water, and their deposition in thecolder regions of the Moon and degassing of theMoon can be understood by using radon and itsdaughter nuclide210Pb as tracers.

When
Chandrayaan-1 planned to be launched in 2008 using spacecraft and launch vehicle of ISRO. The mission is expected to have an operational life of about 2 years.

The idea of undertaking an Indian scientific mission to Moon was initially mooted in a meeting of the Indian Academy of Sciences in 1999 that was followed up by discussions in the Astronautical Society of India in 2000. Based on the recommendations made by the learned members of these forums, a National Lunar Mission Task Force was constituted by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Leading Indian scientists and technologists participated in the deliberations of the Task Force that provided an assessment on the feasibility of an Indian Mission to the Moon as well as dwelt on the focus of such a mission and its possible configuration.

Government of India approved ISRO's proposal for Chandrayaan-1 in November 2003.

Chandrayaan will be ready to launch in between October 19 and October 28.

Almost 100 days 10 hours 40 minutes and 26 seconds from now.

by Gyandotcom

In the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, Ashwatthama (Sanskrit: अश्वत्थामा, Aśvatthāmā) or Ashwatthaman (Sanskrit: अश्वत्थामन्, Aśvatthāman) was the son of guru Dronacharya. He is one of the eight Chiranjeevins. Dronacharya loved him dearly. Rumours about his death in the Kurukshetra war led to the death of his father at the hands of Prince Dhrishtadyumna. A vengeful Ashwatthama obtained permission from the dying Duryodhana to brutally murder Dhrishtadhyumna after the war had officially ended. Ashwatthama at the end of the war promised Duryodhana that he would kill the Pandavas.

Ashwatthama was observing on the last day of the war, how an owl was attacked by crows in the day and how the owls attacked back in the night. So he surmised that under the laws of nature, a person can fight when he is strong. He, Kritavarma and Kripacharya tried to attack the camp of Pandavas and they were stopped by a demon kept by Krishna. However, Krishna also took the precaution of taking the Pandavas along with Satyaki to the river side of the Ganges.

Ashwatthama worshipped Shiva and offered his body as offering to Shiva. Shiva gave him the boon that whoever faces him that night shall die. Ashwatthama attacked the Pandava camp in the middle of the night, but by error ended up murdering the five sons of the Pandavas by Draupadi.

The Pandavas, incensed by this act, chased him resulting in his fight with Arjuna. During the fight, Ashwatthama invoked the extremely powerful Brahmashira weapon--which incidentally he had once tried to exchange with Krishna's discus without success--against Arjuna. Arjuna in response invoked the same weapon. Fearing the destruction of the world, the sages advised both to take back their weapons. While Arjuna could do so, Ashwatthama (presumably having less skill) could not and was given the option of choosing any single target to destroy. Out of spite, Ashwatthama directed the weapon to the wombs of Pandava women. Among them was Uttara, Arjuna's daughter-in-law.At this time, Uttara was carrying the unborn Parikshit, son of Abhimanyu, who upon birth would be the future heir to all the Pandava brothers. The Brahmastra weapon was successful in fatally burning the foetus, but Krishna revived the stillborn child and cursed Ashwatthama with leprosy and to roam the world for 6,000 years as an unloved castaway. In another version, it is believed that he is cursed to remain alive till the end of the Kali Yuga. It is believed that Ashwatthama migrated to the land currently known as the Arabian Peninsula. Another version goes to say that he is still on Earth in the form of cyclones and typhoons. An old fort near Burhanpur, India called Asirgarh has a Lord Shiva temple on top where it is believed that Ashwatthama offers a red rose everyday to Lord Shiva early in the morning. Another story says that Ashwatthama is still roaming in the forest of Kurukshetra,Gir, Junagadh in the Gujarat state of India. Ashwatthama also had to surrender a valuable gem, Mani, set on his forehead, the wearer of which ceases to have any fear from weapons or disease or hunger, and ceases to have any fear of gods, Danavas and Nagas.Ashwatthama was one of the three survivors of the Kaurava army, along with Kritavarma and Kripacharya.

In order to fully discuss this topic which fascinates me to no end, I'll first need to describe the concept of 'chiranjeev' (this word can also be spelt validly as 'chiranjiv'). 'Chiranjeev' (pronounced 'chir-ahn-jeev') is a Sanskrit word and refers to an EXTREMELY long-lived being (chiran - long, jiva - life). Sometimes chiranjeevs are said to be 'immortal', but this is a misconception. They have unusually long lifespans due to one reason or another, but they still took birth and therefore their souls MUST eventually depart from their bodies. Chiranjeevs are not necessarily the same as siddhas who can physically 'die' at their own will, but their bodies are not subject to decay like ours are. When our bodies expire, they rot away, but when a chiranjeev's lifespan ends, their bodies simply disappear/dematerialise at that very moment. So only in this sense can the chiranjeev be said to be 'immortal', in the sense that it does not experience 'death' in the same manner of decay that all other living entities are subjected to. A chiranjeev attains his/her/its so-called 'immortality' either by way of a blessing or a curse from some other entity or through the law of karma in general. Though there are perhaps multitudes of chiranjeevs that exist across the universe, there are 8 major 'immortals' or chiranjeevs that dwell on the Earth that are recognised in this current Day Of Brahma and they are as follows:

Ashwathama -a man cursed to immortality and extreme suffering without love from anybody for his role in the murder of the five sons of the Pandavas and his attempted murder of Arjuna's grandson
Bali (demon) -a righteous demon king who conquered heaven, earth, and the underworld, but was forced to give it back by Vamana
Vyasa -a sage who narrated the Mahabharata, he was also a sage in the epic
Hanuman -a monkey deva who served Rama
Vibhishana -Ravana's brother who was made King of Lanka by Rama
Kripacharya -a teacher of the princes in the Mahabharata
Parashurama -an avatar of Vishnu
Markandeya -a great rishi
According to the Hindu text known as Srimad Bhagavatam, Ashwathama, Vyasa, Kripa and Parashurama are destined to be future saptarishis (seven sages), Bali is destined to become the next Indra, Hanuman was blessed by Brahma to live as long as him and Vibhishana was blessed by Rama to live for one kalpa (ie. one full Day Of Brahma). There are several other chiranjeevs mentioned in the Hindu epics and also in a variety of other texts. But there is only one chiranjeev in particular that I want to focus on in this thread: Aswatthama. Aswatthama was a fairly prominent figure in the Hindu epic Mahabharata.It gets even MORE  interesting! There are many rumours in India that revolve around a tall man with gaping hole in the centre of his forehead aimlessly roaming the forests of Northern India. My Father recently told me an account about how one of his Friends and that man's wife went to visit a small village in Northern India. I'm not sure how many years ago they visited this place and my overall memory of this account is quite poor, so I'll try to ask my Father to re-tell the whole thing to me as soon as possible. Anyway, moving on..... they were sight-seeing this village and engaging in simple chit-chat with the villagers. All of a sudden, a VERY tall man (approximately 12 feet tall, I think my Father said! ) walked into the village. This man had a noticeable dent in his forehead and in the middle of his forehead, there was clearly a circle or hole there. It seemed to be an injury of some sort, but there was no scab which had developed where the hole was. Small drops of blood seemed to seep out of this hole and there were numerous flies that flew around this particular area of his body. The man was quite silent until he approached a man inside a small restaurant selling traditional Indian food. He asked the owner of the store something like 'What have you cooked for me this time?' and, in response, the owner of the store served him a vast variety of foods to quell his appetite. So HUGE was this mysterious man's appetite that he apparently cleared out the restaurant's entire stock of food! Then this man became thirsty and requested water. He was pointed in the direction of a large pot (about half my height and twice my width) which was filled right to the top with water. He promptly went to this pot and proceeded to drink ALL of the water held inside it until not even a single DROP remained! My Father's brother and his wife had seen this occurring in front of their very eyes and were quite astonished. They asked a nearby onlooker if he knew who this man was. He responded by saying......... that he was Aswatthama from the Mahabharata! He further clarified that Aswatthama entered this particular village every year (but only once every year) for about a few hours in one day simply to eat and drink. Then he would silently walk off deeper into the forest without making a sound. I asked my Father out of curiosity how and why these villagers could be so calm and offer him food and water even though they are aware of the many grievous sins associated with Aswatthama. My Father responded by saying that whenever one is hungry, he or she should be given food and whenever one is thirsty, he or she should be given water... REGARDLESS of that person's character or identity. It should be done because it is a selfless thing to do. It should be done not because it generates very positive karma for a person, but because it is the right thing to do. This is what my Father's response was. Upon closer inspection on this anecdote my Father told me, it makes SENSE that the man who entered that village was indeed Aswatthama himself! The man was said to be EXTREMELY tall. The events of the Mahabharata occurred during Dwapar Yuga (the age which occurred just before this one) and, if I remember correctly, the average height of humankind during this age is between 12-14 feet (to be honest, I don't REALLY know much about this 'feet' unit of measurement at all, since we use the metric system.This man was said to have eaten an ENORMOUS amount of food and drank an entire pot FULL of water. The regular appetite of people in Dwapar Yuga is stated as being considerably greater than what it is today. Also, this man was said to have had an injury in the middle of his forehead. In the Mahabharata, Aswatthama was said to have been born with a precious gem known as chintamani embedded onto the centre of his forehead. After the end of the Kurukshetra War, Krishna is said to have forcefully pulled this gem out of Aswatthama's forehead as a part of his punishment for his crimes. It is written in the Mahabharata that blood began to pour profusely out of the hole in the centre of Aswatthama's forehead where the chintamani gemstone had been removed. The removal of the chintamani gemstone caused him SEVERE physical pain. To me, it ALL adds up. That man was most likely Aswatthama. It is also said that Aswatthama is engaged in intense meditation within a cave in the Himalayas to atone for his misdeeds. However, since Aswatthama is said to be a siddha, you will not be able to see him with your limited mortal eyes if he does not want to be seen. He can adopt an incorporeal form and render himself invisible at will wherever and whenever he does not wish to be perceived by people. The man who was encountered in that village was most likely the very SAME Aswatthama described in the Mahabharata. If this is indeed the case, then he is living PROOF that the Mahabharata is not simply a mere mythological story but an actual HISTORICAL Event.

by

gyandotcom

The Bengal Slow loris Nycticebus bengalensis is a small-sized nocturnal primate that inhabits the forests of northeastern India. Despite being severely threatened by hunting and deforestation, lack of any information on its demography or ecology hampers the development of strategies to conserve and protect it at the State Zoo. "We have rescued them all from outskirts like Panjabari, Narangi, Beltola and other parts of Guwahati city. Most of the time it is the public who captured and handed them over to us for safekeeping. Due to their shy nature and low visibility they tend to be frightened,"

Their natural food habit is small insects, birds, eggs and other easily available food on high trees. But in the State Zoo these animals are being fed with boiled eggs, chicken meat and fruits. "We are trying to make them fit our available range of food. Also, the animals are not mating except the first pair who had given birth to a male Slow Loris which was incidentally killed by its own father," said Doctor Gogoi of the Assam State Zoo. Slow Loris infants develop at a comparatively slow rate as compared with other nocturnal prosimians.  

Slow loris populations have been declining and its status throughout its distribution range is not known. The numbers are very small and the limited survey conducted by the Indo-US Primate Project between  1994 and 1999 indicated their presence in few isolated pockets only. The Slow loris is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act,1972  IUCN SSC Red Data Book listed this species as ‘Data Deficient’.

"If these animals are not been taken care of then they will be lost and we will have only their pictures to show to our coming generations,".

by gyandotcom

kya yahi hai hamari parampara or bhakti devtao ke liye. kal mumbai me ganesh visarjan kiya gaya aaj bhi kiya gaya ..or visarjan ke baad unhi pratimaoo ki halat kuch aisi hoti hai..dukh hota hai aap bhi dekhe.

see your self plzz click to inlarge photos.

kya yahi hai bhagwan ? kya yahi likha hai hamare vedo or grantho me? kya yahi hai asli bhakti ?

kya yahi hai hamara dhram?

ya yeh hai sirf lakhoo rupye chanda jutane ka mehaz ak tareeke.

kindly comment on the reality behind indians festivals like ganesh & durga festival.

is this the right way to celebrate our Festivals?

kya hum sub ko milkar in festival ke liye koi our alternative nikalna chiye taki murtiyon ki yeh durdarsha na ho after the festival over.

by Rohit Sharma

for Gyandotcom

This is the question that is uppermost in the minds of all thinking people who have learnt to set great store by the revolutionary ideas of Gandhi and this is the question that “How relevant are the ideals of mahatma Gandhi today? “ tries to explore, objectively and from  many points of view.

The study of Gandhi is not merely the study of his life, work and ideas; it is also the daily evolving application of those ideas to new challenges and situations. If the burden of the article is that Gandhi is intensely relevant to our times, it makes this assertion not dogmatically but with the humility of scientific exploration.

Gandhi is certainly as relevant if not more for the country today. His vision for the country and his dreams for the community as a whole still hold good for India. He taught us that irrespective of obstacles you encounter, you should pursue the goals you have set. He got the community to assimilate and reflect true values of humanity and to participate in tasks that would promote the greater good of society at large. These issues are still relevant to what free India is and represents.

Gandhi's ideas are still very relevant, but I really don't know if people in this day and age see a way of translating it into today's context. True, what he promoted and the causes he espoused were so long back and so long distanced from today, but I feel that his ideals just need re-interpretation to the India we live in now. Though not much is spoken about Gandhi as it was said about two decades ago, there is still a lot of truth and substance in what he stood for and who he is.
While our senior citizens still uphold Gandhian principles, the younger generation does not adhere to most of these values. I feel that his relevance is not so strong now as a citizen of the nation have failed to pass on Gandhian values to the youth and have also failed to make Gandhi's ideals pertinent to the India of today. How can we say that any of his visions are being upheld today?

Till few years ago no one could have even dreamed of asking the question suggested in the title to this article. How can Gandhi be the subject of a debate! His achievements are so obvious. But after two decades of reforms, India is a different country. Indians, as a people have changed; our aspirations and our ambitions have changed. Now we are ready to take a new look at our historical past and perhaps glean new perspectives from it. Imbued with a new iconoclastic streak, we are no longer ready to accept leaders at their face value; now we yearn for a healthy debate over their contribution to our society.

Though Gandhi died within few months of independence, it is his philosophy that guided the young nation during its formative years. His philosophy of non-violence, temperance and simple living may not have led us on the path of being a superpower, but it did help us survive those tumultuous years. Amongst many nations that became independent during the 1940s, 50s and 60s, only India remained a democracy, where reasonably free and fair elections get held on a regular basis. Most other nations in Asia and Africa succumbed to the lure of communist or military dictatorship.

Indian democracy survived and became stronger over the years, only because we had something that other nations like Pakistan, Bangladesh and China didn't. We had Mahatma Gandhi and his message - "that the answer to violence does not lie in violence; that hatred should not be countered by hatred; that the moral imperative must prevail; that right ends can be obtained only by right means; that eradication of poverty and service of the poor through education and effective empowerment ought to be the priority goals of economic policy; that there is no clash of civilizations but only a pressing need for the celebration of diversity, pluralism and mutual tolerance." The name of Mahatma Gandhi, today, transcends the bounds of race, religion, and nation- states, and has emerged as the Prophetic Voice of the twenty-first century Gandhi is remembered for his passionate adherence to the practice of Nonviolence and his supreme humanism After the Great Buddha and Jesus, he once again demonstrated that Non-violence could also be an effective instrument of social change.

Gandhi successfully demonstrated to a World, weary with wars and continuing destruction that adherence to Truth and Non-violence is not meant for individual behavior alone but can be applied in global affairs too.

The unshackling of the majestic personality of Black Power, destroying the enslaving apparatus of Apartheid in South Africa, was the culmination of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi's non-violent fight against racial discrimination that he had launched on the cold wintry night, on the isolated railway platform of Petermaritzburg in faraway South Africa on June 7, 1893.

Had Gandhi been alive today he would have been the least surprised, at the new turn of events in South Africa, for this is only an affirmation of the implicit faith he had in his mission.

Gandhi had relentless and unshakable optimism He remained an optimist till his last Gandhi would often say, "My optimism rests on my belief in the infinite possibilities of the individual to develop non-violence".

"Good" said Gandhi, "travels at a snail's pace" On another occasion, he wrote, "Non-violence is a plant of slow growth It grows imperceptibly but surely" The sheer power of these words and the impression they leave on our hearts, derives from the fact that they are the quiet expression of the credo of a man, whose beliefs and actions were in complete accord. Gandhi would have us work ceaselessly for the realization of what the sociologists call "common human" values, for the triumph of the common human way of life.

Mahatma held up before all mankind the image of what every human being could be; he held up before us all a mirror reflecting the spiritual heights all of us could reach The world in which Gandhi was born, lived, worked and died, was beset by a number of problems, some peculiar to his age others recurrent in every age He worked for universal human values His life is a sure guide to a meaningful existence He embodied the Eternal Indian concept of the superior  being-of the Mahatma Anyone can become a Mahatma if one makes a vocation of living the meaningful life- putting principle above expediency, duty above pleasure-service above self, as reflected in  the life of the Buddha or several of our epic heroes. Gandhi had a dream for India Realizing this dream has become a nightmare Today, we are living in a constant adjustment to changing conditions, which require a different kind of discipline. Now it rests on our shoulders, yours and mine to see that the democratic values in our country remains intact and that social justice, equity, gender equality is achieved for all Rights should follow duties If we are able to achieve this, we shall be helping to reinstate Mahatma Gandhi's dream, I firmly believe it can be done. Gandhi's unfinished task is the biggest challenge before the youth After all it is their future It is their world Does not look like it Does it? But it is Gandhi had great faith in the ultimate success of his mission, because he had infinite faith in the individual's capacity to change He firmly held that the human nature is capable of radical reorientation; all one needs is a will to explore his own true self This explains why Gandhi, all through his life was striving to take humanity on to the path of spiritual and moral growth The progress of civilization, as it has evolved through the ages, id proof that human nature is a developing entity, capable of change for the better.

Remember that the contemporary crisis demands not only a careful analysis of the roots of current social disorder and strategies of transition away from the current violent system but also demands a total rejection of some of our present narrow cherished beliefs, images, creeds , and above all, a drastic reorientation of our life style and restructuring our political, social and economic institutions on radical moral lines.

Can we face the challenge of Gandhi's ideals and ideas? They have not yet been fully utilized The Revolutionary Gandhi, who was far ahead of his times, has not been fully understood by the younger generation Gandhi's thoughts need to be disseminated amongst our youth It is the ideas, which have a stupendous role in taking the human society forward; towards the desired pacifist goal. It is said that it is not the conquerors but the long line of men and women of thought, individually powerless, who are ultimately the rulers of the world Mahatma Gandhi certainly belongs to this August Hall of Fame- His Life's message will lead a new humanity on to a new path of Universal love and Harmony. Today, Gandhi is the sign at the World's crossroads. Is it too late to retrace the steps and follow the non-violent path of recovery shown by Mahatma Gandhi? But is there a future for us at all, if we don't- is the moot question.

What a clichéd question! It has been asked a countless times and will continue to be asked a countless times. While it’s always answered as yes or no, some basic elements of the principle that’s being popularized today as “Gandhigiri” are missed out.

The context is so important. For a plant to grow, it’s not enough that the seed is of good quality. It should also be planted in fertile soil, and further it has to be nurtured well for it to yield good fruit.

Let us not be overawed by Gandhi and the path he took. He was a human being like anyone of us, but the big difference was, he was an extraordinary man. He was a genius; he was one in a million. No one could rally around a disparate mass of people like he did. He devised a plan, worked selflessly for it to succeed. The British as rulers of the world had simply no answers to Gandhiji’s posers. An empire, where the sun never set, was humbled. Never before had one single man brought an empire down without spilling blood.

But, there is another side which reminds us that Gandhi was not a God. He was not a Saint. He was a politician. He was a strategist, only that the world hadn’t seen a politician like him. Gandhism had its limitations.

Ultimately, India won its Independence with so much blood spilt. It must have pained Gandhiji so much. His writings reflect his awareness of the limitations of his philosophy. It’s not a philosophy that guarantees absolute success. It doesn’t work everywhere with everyone all the time. How we apply his principles and on whom, how, when and where are equally important.

We didn’t spill blood fighting the British. It’s also important that the British, being what they are, respected Gandhiji, and didn’t allow blood to be split. But we spilt blood fighting among ourselves. We spilt blood, not while driving the British out, but while winning the freedom for ourselves. Gandhian principles worked with the British, but did it work with our own people? Blood continues to be spilt.

Everyone talks only of truth and non-violence; but very few of “spirit of sacrifice”. That, I think, embodies Gandhian ideals the best. Not surprisingly, that’s also the least practiced. Probably that’s what is needed for non-principle to succeed, that’s what is needed to ensure that blood is not spilt.

From what I have understood after reading about Gandhiji, is that he is one person who made full use of the “one-step-back-two-steps-forward” principle. He never hesitated to withdraw or retreat, when he was sure he could then rebound much stronger, which would then take him much farther. That was a crucial element of his strategizing. And it worked.

The word sacrifice has an aura around it. There’s no need for it. The little pleasures that we give up in our daily lives, the little adjustments that we all make in our daily lives with people around us, are also small sacrifices that make our lives much simpler, happier and worthwhile. Probably, this world can do with a little more of such sacrifices.

I guess, it’s here that we need to understand Gandhiji’s strategies, learn them and apply them in our everyday lives, wherever appropriate. We may or may not be able to change the entire world. But definitely we can, in our own small way, make a small change to the small world around us. The synergy of it works; only that we need to exploit this synergy much more.

2nd October Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. It is also the International Day of Nonviolence - a day to contemplate not just Gandhi's effect on world politics, but to actively think about how his concepts of peace, nonviolence and civil disobedience can be applied to redress the injustice that characterizes our world today.

Gandhi's contribution to the Indian freedom struggle was revolutionary because it bro